There are so many ways of reusing household water, it never occurred to me until I started really looking at it. 

During the summer, I hang my washing outside. There’s something really rewarding about being able to dry your clothes outside; they smell fresh and it’s free!

However, during the autumn and winter months, it’s a different story. I use my dryer. I’ve looked at other ways to dry clothes but it just didn’t work.

I hung the clothes on the radiator; however, this wouldn’t heat up the room as well as when the radiators were clear of clothing. I bought a load of radiator airers but I found I ran out of radiators to hang all the clothes. This ended up with a continuous cycle of washing and clothes dotted around the house on radiator airers. Not pleasant when you have company.

In order to get all my washing done in a day, I have resorted to using the dryer, however, I have a condenser dryer. For those who aren’t aware, in condenser dryers, any water from the drying clothes is collected in the tank at the bottom. The advantage of having a condenser dryer means it isn’t necessary for a builder to knock a circular a hole in your kitchen wall to create an outlet for the moisture.

Once I hear the beeping from the dryer notifying me that the tank is full and needs emptying, I would remove the tank and empty the water contents down the sink. For some reason I did this automatically and didn’t notice the writing on the tank. 

There are options for reusing water! There appears to be quite a few household uses and how to put the water to good use.

I can’t believe I never noticed this before. It never occurred to me that I could use tumble dryer water for plants

It turns out that there are many tumble dryer water uses, and quite a few different ways too. 

I only use filtered water in the iron so I wouldn’t consider using the water from my condenser dryer but I do have plants. After a wash load, I empty the tank into a massive jug I have and leave it next to the sink. I fill up a plastic bottle I have purely for watering the plants and walk around the house doing just that. After a few wash loads, it’s easy to end up with a lot of water.  

Next time you wonder “can you use tumble dryer water for plants” or “can I reuse condenser dryer water”,  you know the answer, and the benefits of water reclamation.

When I really started looking into it, it turns out there are different types of water. Who knew! 

We’ve all heard of fresh water, rain water, clean water but there are others; gray water, and black water.

Grey Water is water that has been used  like shower water, washing machine water, water from kitchen and bathroom sinks.

Black water is toilet water which removes human waste. You definitely don’t want to be using this. 

I also have a dishwasher and I tend to use tap water to rinse off any remains but I now use my condenser dryer water to rinse the cutlery (if they need it) before I put them in the dishwasher.

I can’t be the only person with a condenser dryer and I wondered what else I could use this water for?

Are you looking for other ways to reuse water? Here are the best methods I’ve come across

Leftover water from potatoes and pasta

I once came across an article some time ago about reusing the residual cooking water after boiling pasta or potatoes. However, it’s advisable to use this water only when it has completely cooled down and hasn’t been seasoned or salted, this can kill your plants and you don’t want to do that! I occasionally follow this practice, but it’s not my go-to choice, and I never use it as a replacement for tap or rainwater.

Many gardeners find that leftover pasta water, rich in starch, can potentially provide a small nutritional boost to their plants. Another option I’ve heard about is rice water. 

Garden Water Butt

This is something I’ve always wanted but never had the space, until I moved house, I have installed a water butt (also known as a rain barrel) in the garden which collects rainwater I use to water my outdoor plants during times when there isn’t much rainfall. I even use it to wash the car.

The benefit of this is that the only expense is the water butt (which is a one-off cost), after that it’s free free free! This one of the best ways to collect water and it can help to reduce your water bills. It you live somewhere where it rains a lot, it may be worth getting a few butts, you could potentially collect gallons of water!

Used water from the shower

I’ve seen people use collected water from the shower but I’m not sure how soapy water can affect house plants so this isn’t something I do myself. Although, I have reused shower water for washing the car and it works well for me. Keep a bucket in the shower and once it’s full, reuse that water.

Water bottles

My daughter has water bottle she takes to school. There have been many occasions where she still has some water in it so I collect the leftover water in a container and use that for watering my plants (or empty it into the water butt for later use). Pouring it down the sink seems like a complete waste. 

This is a great way and one of the easiest way to reuse excess drinking water, and after a while, the amount of water you’ve saved can really build up. 

Reclaimed Water from a Dehumidifier 

Due to some damp issues when we moved house, we needed to purchase a dehumidifier to draw out the excess water before repairs. Building work has been completed but the moisture will take a little bit longer to resolve, hence the dehumidifier. 

I love the fact that it collects water in the tank which I empty into the water butt so I am able reuse the water elsewhere.

As dryers can be expensive to run, my friend uses a dehumidifier to help dry clothes as they remove any excess water from the air, and they also help with any condensation issues, read more here and decide if this is a possible option for you.

Water is a vital resource and water conservation is really important. Not only does it help create healthy environments by not wasting water but water reuse can help save money too. 

I’ve you’ve got any ideas about reducing your water consumption, please share!